Culture & Gender

Question 1

Sex roles

Answer 1

behaviours men and women engage in directly related to biological differences and process of reproduction.

Question 2

Sex

Answer 2

physical characteristics and differences between males and females.

Question 3

Sexual identity

Answer 3

degree of awareness and recognition by an individual of his/her sex and sex roles.

Question 4

Gender Roles

Answer 4

degree to which a person adopts gender specific behaviours ascribed by his/her culture.

Question 5

Gender

Answer 5

behaviours that culture deems appropriate for males and females.

Question 6

Gender identity

Answer 6

degree to which person has awareness/recognition that he/she adopts a particular gender role.

Question 7

Gender stereotypes

Answer 7

psychological/behavioural characteristics typically associated w/males & females.

Question 8

Hofstede’s Masculinity/Femininity

Answer 8

Name changed to Motivation Towards Achievement and Success (2023)

The terms Masculinity and Femininity caused discomfort among some for treating gender as a binary concept. While it was certainly never Hofstede’s intention to offend people, it was acknowledged that the name was not timely anymore, and have it been changed to Motivation towards Achievement and Success. The changed name doesn’t mean a reinterpretation of the dimension, and also the country scores have remained the same.

Question 9

Hofstede’s Study

Answer 9

“Masculinity v. Femininity”
- Degree to which a culture will foster, encourage/maintain differences between males and females.
High on masculinity:
- Moralistic attitudes about sex; double standards
- Encourages passive role of women
Low on masculinity
- Matter-of-fact attitudes about sex; single standard
- Encourages active role of women.

Question 10

Cognitive differences males vs females

Answer 10

Common folklore that males are better at mathematical and spatial reasoning tasks, and females better at verbal comprehension tasks.

However, in spatial reasoning tasks:
- Male superiority on tasks found in tight sedentary, agriculturally based cultures.
- Female superiority found in cultures that are loose, nomadic, and based on hunting and gathering.
- Shows difference of what traits are encouraged/brought up

Question 11

Conformity and obedience difference between cultures.

Answer 11

One common stereotype is that females are more conforming and obedient than males.

In actuality, degree to which difference in conformation occurs varies among cultures.

Tight cultures foster greater gender difference on conformity, w/females more conformity than males.

Loose cultures foster less gender difference on conformity, sometimes w/males more conforming than females.

Question 12

5 factor model males v females

Answer 12

Women universally reported higher scores on Neuroticism, Agreeableness, Warmth, and Openness to Feelings.

Men scored higher on Assertiveness and Openness to idea.

These gender differences were very small than the differences that exist within the male/female groups.

However, the degree of difference varies across cultures, correlating with individualism index rating.

Question 13

Division of labour in cultures

Answer 13

Men generally physically bigger.

Provide shelter, food, protection.

Women carry children, give birth and breastfeed.

Care for infants and newborns.

Biggest cultural differences between men and women are division of labour in house.

However, woman take brunt of housework in all societies.

Question 14

Williams and best (1982)

Answer 14

High degree of pancultural agreement across all countries studied in characteristics associated with men and women.

Characteristics associated with men were stronger and more active than those associated w/woman across all countries.

Question 15

Gender role ideology

Answer 15

judgments about what males and females ought to be like or do.

Question 16

Gibbons (studies in younger populations):

Answer 16

Being “kind and honest” is universal for boys and girls.

Adolescents from wealthy/individualistic countries were less traditional than those from poorer countries.

Question 17

Androgyny

Answer 17

gender identity involving endorsement of male and female characteristics.

Gender identities of African Americans are more androgynous than those of European Americans.
Adolescent girls with androgynous identity have higher levels of self-acceptance than either feminine/masculine girls.
For boys, masculine, not androgynous, identity is associated with highest level of self-acceptance.